Raspberry plant named ‘DrisRaspEighteen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of raspberry plant named ‘DrisRaspEighteen’, particularly selected for its yield potential and flavor, is disclosed.

Latin name:

Botanical classification: Rubus idaeus L.

Varietal denomination: The varietal denomination of the claimed varietyof raspberry plant is ‘DrisRaspEighteen’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Raspberries are the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in thegenus Rubus of the rose family. Most raspberry species are in thesubgenus Idaeobatus. Raspberry plants are perennial plants with woodystems. Many of the most important modern commercial red raspberrycultivars derive from hybrids between R. idaeus and R. strigosus. Recentbreeding has resulted in cultivars that are thornless and more stronglyupright, not needing staking.

Both the red and the black raspberry species have albino-likepale-yellow natural or horticultural variants. Fruits from such plantsare called golden raspberries or yellow raspberries. Most pale-fruitedraspberries commercially sold in the eastern United States arederivatives of red raspberries. Yellow-fruited variants of the blackraspberry are sometimes grown in home gardens. Despite their dissimilarappearance, golden raspberries retain the distinctive flavor of theirrespective red or black species.

An individual raspberry fruit is made up of around 100 drupelets, eachof which contains a juicy pulp and a single central seed. A raspberrybush can yield several hundred berries a year. Unlike blackberries anddewberries, a raspberry has a hollow core once it is removed from thereceptacle.

Raspberries are traditionally planted in the winter as dormant canes,but planting plugs produced by tissue culture is also common.Additionally, the long cane production method consists of growing canesfor one year in cold climates where the bud break is early, and thentransplanting the canes to warm climates where they quickly flower andcan produce an early season crop. A very vigorous crop, raspberriesspread well and can be considered invasive, using extended undergroundshoots (also known as suckers or basal shoots) that can develop rootsand individual plants.

Raspberries are a popular fruit that are recognized for theirantioxidants, high fiber, and as a good source of vitamin C. Raspberryfruit is typically consumed as fresh fruit, individually quick frozen(IQF) fruit, or in prepared foods, such as purées, juices, jellies,jams, grocery items, baked goods, and snack foods.

Raspberry is an important and valuable commercial fruit crop, widelygrown in all temperate regions of the world. Accordingly, there is aneed for new varieties of raspberry plant. In particular, there is aneed for improved varieties of raspberry plant that are stable, highyielding, and agronomically sound.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to meet these needs, the present invention is directed to animproved variety of raspberry plant. In particular, the inventionrelates to a new and distinct variety of raspberry plant (Rubus idaeusL.), which has been denominated as ‘DrisRaspEighteen’.

Raspberry plant variety ‘DrisRaspEighteen’ was discovered in Santa CruzCounty, Calif. in July of 2015 and originated from a cross between thefemale parent ‘DrisRaspTwelve’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,577) and the maleparent ‘OrisRaspThirteen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,402). The originalseedling of the new variety was first asexually propagated in Santa CruzCounty, Calif. via root cuttings in October 2015.

‘DrisRaspEighteen’ was subsequently asexually propagated via rootcuttings, and has undergone testing in Santa Cruz County, Calif. forfive years (2014 to 2019). The present variety has been found to bestable and reproduce true to type through successive asexualpropagations via root cuttings and tissue culture.

‘DrisRaspEighteen’ was particularly selected for its yield potential andflavor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new raspberry plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs.The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of plants thatare two years old.

FIG. 1 illustrates sections of canes of raspberry variety‘DrisRaspEighteen’.

FIG. 2 illustrates the upper surface (left leaf) and the lower surface(right leaf) of leaves of raspberry variety ‘DrisRaspEighteen’.

FIG. 3 illustrates flowers and fruit of raspberry variety‘DrisRaspEighteen’ at various stages of development.

FIG. 4 illustrates a section of a plant of raspberry variety‘DrisRaspEighteen’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of‘DrisRaspEighteen’. Unless where otherwise noted, the data that definethese characteristics are based on observations taken from‘DrisRaspEighteen’ plants that were two years old, grown in Santa CruzCounty, Calif. from 2014 to 2019. These descriptions are in accordancewith UPOV terminology. Color designations, color descriptions, and otherphenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values anddescriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal,climatic and cultural conditions. ‘DrisRaspEighteen’ has not beenobserved under all possible environmental conditions. The indicatedvalues represent averages calculated from measurements of severalplants. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2015 edition).Descriptive terminology follows the Plant Identification Terminology, AnIllustrated Glossary, 2^(nd) edition by James G. Harris and MelindaWoolf Harris, unless where otherwise defined.

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Rosaceae.        -   Botanical.—Rubus idaeus L.        -   Common name.—Raspberry.        -   Variety name.—‘DrisRaspEigiateen’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘DrisRaspTwelve’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.            30,577).        -   Male parent.—‘DrisRaspThirteen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.            29,402).-   Plant:    -   -   Height.—173.0 cm.        -   Width.—129.5 cm.        -   Length/width ratio.—1.3.        -   Growth habit.—Semi-upright.        -   Primocane (current year's cane).—Color: RHS N144D (Strong            yellow-green). Cane length in autumn: 194 cm. Internodal            distance at central ⅓ of cane: 7.28 cm. Anthocyanin            coloration of cane: Absent or very weak. Cane bloom: Absent            or very weak. Vegetative bud length (at central ⅓ of cane):            7.37 mm.        -   Very young shoot.—Color: RHS 145A (Strong yellow-green).            Anthocyanin coloration of apex during rapid growth: Absent.        -   Floricane (previous year's cane).—Dormant cane color: RHS            199B (Light olive brown). Fruiting lateral attitude:            Semi-erect. Floricane fruiting lateral length: 93 cm.        -   Prickles (spines).—Presence: Present. Density: Sparse.            Number of prickles on primocanes: 4-4.5 per cm². Number of            prickles on floricanes: 4-4.5 per cm². Length at 1 m height            at end of harvest (from base to tip): 1.31 mm. Color: RHS            59B (Deep purplish red).-   Leaves:    -   -   Predominant number of leaflets.—Three.        -   Profile of leaflets in cross section.—Straight.        -   Leaf rugosity.—Weak.        -   Color of upper (adaxial) side.—RHS 139B (Moderate yellowish            green).        -   Color of lower (abaxial) side.—RHS 139D (Moderate            yellow-green).        -   Terminal leaflet.—Length: 99.4 mm. Width: 71.7 mm.            Length/width ratio: 1.4.        -   Lateral leaflets.—Length: 83.7 mm. Width: 49.3 mm.            Length/width ratio: 1.7. Relative position of lateral            leaflets: Free.        -   Rachis length between terminal leaflet and adjacent lateral            leaflets.—23.1 mm.        -   Petiole.—Length: 50.5 mm. Diameter: 2.38 mm.-   Flowers:    -   -   Diameter.—24.53 mm.        -   Petal.—Color of upper side: RHS 155A (Pale yellow-green).            Color of lower side: RHS 155A (Pale yellow-green). Length:            7.17 mm. Width: 3.86 mm. Length/width ratio: 1.9.        -   Pedicel.—Length: 47.65 mm. Diameter: 0.99 mm. Color: RHS            182A (Moderate red).        -   Peduncle.—Color: RHS 182C (Dark pink). Anthocyanin            coloration: Absent.-   Fruit:    -   -   Length.—23.08 mm.        -   Diameter.—22.17 mm.        -   Length/width ratio.—1.0.        -   Length of drupelet.—5.28 mm.        -   Diameter of drupelet.—3.80 mm.        -   General shape in lateral view.—Conical.        -   Color.—RHS 58A (Moderate purplish red).        -   Glossiness.—Strong.        -   Firmness.—Firm.        -   Adherence to plug.—Weak.        -   Seed.—Diameter: 3 mm. Shape: Lens. Color: RHS 165B (Brownish            orange).-   Production:    -   -   Main bearing type.—Both on floricane (previous year's cane)            in summer and on primocane (current year's cane) in autumn.        -   Primocane (current year's cane).—Time of beginning of            flowering: Early June. Time of beginning of fruit ripening:            Early July. Length of fruiting period: Early July to late            October. Yield: 21,370 kg to 34,007 kg of fruit per hectare            per season from 7-month-old plants when grown in            Watsonville, Calif.        -   Floricane (previous year's cane).—Time of vegetative bud            burst: Early March. Time of beginning of flowering:            Mid-April. Time of beginning of fruit ripening: Mid-May.            Length of fruiting period: Early May to late July. Yield:            24,702 kg to 42,890 kg of fruit per hectare per season from            12-month-old plants when grown in Watsonville, Calif.

COMPARISONS TO PARENTAL AND REFERENCE RASPBERRY VARIETIES

‘DrisRaspEighteen’ differs from the female parent ‘DrisRaspIwelve’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 30,577) in that ‘DrisRaspEighteen’ has an improved flavorbut smaller fruit size when compared to ‘DrisRaspTwelve’. Further, for‘DrisRaspEighteen’ the leaves have predominantly three leaflets, theprofile of leaflets in cross section is straight, and the leaf rugosityis weak, whereas for ‘DrisRaspTwelve’ the leaves have equally three andfive leaflets, the profile of leaflets in cross section is concave, andthe leaf rugosity is medium.

‘DrisRaspEighteen’ differs from the male parent ‘DrisRaspThirteen’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 29,402) in that ‘DrisRaspEighteen’ has an improved flavorand higher yield when compared to ‘DrisRaspThirteen’. Further, for‘DrisRaspEighteen’ the bloom on current season's cane is absent or verysparse, the density of spines is sparse, and the fruit glossiness isstrong, whereas for ‘DrisRaspThirteen’ the bloom on current season'scane is medium, the density of spines is medium, and the fruitglossiness is medium.

‘DrisRaspEighteen’ differs from reference raspberry variety ‘DriscollMaravilla’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,804) in that for ‘DrisRaspEighteen’the leaves have predominantly three leaflets, the relative position ofthe lateral leaflets is free, the fruit's adherence to the plug is weak,and the leaf rugosity is weak, whereas for ‘Driscoll Maravilla’ theleaves have predominantly five leaflets, the relative position of thelateral leaflets is overlapping, the fruit's adherence to the plug ismedium, and the leaf rugosity is medium.

‘DrisRaspEighteen’ differs from reference raspberry variety‘DrisRaspSeven’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,045) in that for‘DrisRaspEighteen’ the bloom on current season's cane is absent or veryweak, the predominant number of leaflets on leaves is three, the numberof spines on the pedicel is few, and the fruit firmness is firm, whereasfor ‘DrisRaspSeven’ the bloom on current season's cane is medium, thepredominant number of leaflets on leaves is five, the number of spineson the pedicel is absent or very few, and the fruit firmness is medium.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of raspberry plantdesignated ‘DrisRaspEighteen’ as shown and described herein.